Massage is more than a just a luxury, studies confirm. More and more doctors, clinics, and researchers, including the Mayo Clinic confirm that massage is an essential component of a comprehensive health and wellness plan.

Everywhere in our culture, we see massage. Professional sports teams have massage therapists on their sports medicine team. Corporations bring in massage therapists for chair massage during the workday.

Medical doctors, psychologists, and physical therapists regularly refer their patients for massage as a complementary treatment for everything from depression to aiding in recovery from surgery. Massage therapists use various forms of soft tissue manual manipulation on skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments to increase circulation of blood and lymph fluid, increase flexibility and range of motion, and release tense and contracted muscles. These physiological effects stimulate release of toxins from tissues for elimination, enhance immunity through lymph circulation, relieves chronic pain by loosening muscles and releasing neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, and aids in the injury recovery process during sub-acute stages.

Massage releases muscle adhesions and relieves muscles tense from driving, working at a desk, as well as more physically demanding jobs. By increasing circulation and joint flexibility, and decreasing muscle tension, regular massage works to prevent injuries from occurring.

Massage is well known for its beneficial effects on stress and mental health. Massage works physiologically to relieve stress by reducing cortisol levels by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, or the “rest and digest” response that restores the body from “fight or flight.” Chronic stress is a major contributing factor to the vast majority of common illnesses we face today.

Anthony Zitnick, LMT is a Florida massage therapist who has been in practice for ten years and trained in over 25 different styles of relaxation and therapeutic massage. Zitnick recommends monthly massage as part of a complete health and wellness regimen. For individuals with physically demanding lives, chronic pain, or injuries that are in advanced healing stages, he recommends more frequent massage if possible to target specific muscle groups and break up scar tissue that could impede range of motion.

For this reason, Zitnick offers monthly massage rates for 20% off regular massage prices to encourage his clients to integrate their health and wellness goals into their day-to- day lives. Alongside monthly massage, Zitnick also councils his clients on measures they can take to optimize the benefits of monthly massage, including daily stretches that target specific muscle groups.